Monday, July 20, 2009

Non-Fiction Monday: Discover the Oceans

I'm a sucker for any non-fiction book about the ocean. I just find it such a fascinating topic, with so many different places to go and explore, leaving endless possibilities for authors to take on. For this Non-Fiction Monday I've chosen Discover the Oceans: The World's Largest Ecosystem, which is written by Lauri Berkenkamp and illustrated by Chuck Forsman, which focuses on incorporating activities for kids to participate in that will take them on ocean adventures, allow them to both learn and work with their hands.

Set up in different chapters, the author has included a mass of information in a pretty short book, but in a manner that is pleasing and easy to understand. Each chapter has lots of facts, a "words-to-know" section in which highlighted words from the text are defined, an activity or two, fact boxes and some illustrations.

A glossary, index, and section on how to help the oceans rounds out the book. My only real criticism of Discover the Oceans is the lack of color on the pages. The illustrations are done in muted browns and blues, rather than the bright colors one typically associates with ocean life. For that reason, I don't see the pages holding the attention of younger children, but the book would be a great resource for a middle schooler doing a project.

To learn more or to purchase, click on the book cover to link to Amazon.

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Nice to meet you!

I'm Amanda! I'm a book lover, former librarian, wannabe runner, military wife, and toddler mom. Here you'll find ramblings on great books for all ages and the occasional musing on life. Thanks for stopping by!